GREENVILLE – Ten Edison State Community College teams, Greenville Campus and online, continued the tradition of talking to elementary and middle school students about Bullying. Edison State students also worked hundreds of hours with elementary and middle school students struggling with their academics.
The students are enrolled in Edison State’s Fundamentals of Communication course, Greenville Campus. They learn strong communication skills, including public speaking, ethics, critical thinking, human diversity, teamwork and more, and put those skills into practice while providing a positive service to their communities.
“Students learn that good communication is more than just talking, or making comments on social media,” Bob Robinson, Fundamentals of Communications instructor, said. “It’s being able to communicate your ideas effectively, being ethical and trustworthy, understanding that individuals are different in how they relate to or perceive your comments and actions. In today’s world, being able to function as part of a team is crucial. While all of these points are covered in the classroom, it’s often an eye-opener when students put what they’ve learned into practice outside the classroom.”
This fall, eight teams made presentations to students in Bradford, Ansonia, Tri-Village and Greenville Middle schools. Two teams made presentations at Kiwanis of Greenville and the Greenville Public library; they were designed to make adults aware of the issues today’s kids – and often adults – face.
The Week 16 team presentations were the final assignments for the course, Robinson noted. “The off-campus presentations were graded by the teachers and adult participants… on a scale of one to ten, not a single team was graded under 9.0, and over half received the full ten points.” Each team worked an average 20-25 hours preparing for the presentations.
“Semester after semester, Edison State students and faculty are connecting to our community in new and exciting ways,” said Chad Beanblossom, Vice President of Regional Campuses. “We are thrilled to have our students invited into our local schools, service organizations and the public libraries to share information on the important topic of bullying. Edison State students are developing communication skills while delivering an important message to our community youth.”
For their individual term projects, students had a choice between taking exams and doing a research paper, or working 25 hours with elementary and middle school students who need academic help. “Again, it’s one thing to take an academic approach to communication skills, another to practice them,” Robinson said. “If their schedules allowed, Edison State students chose the tutoring option.” Forty students worked over 750 hours with students in Greenville, Anna, and Mississinawa Valley.
Robinson added this is a win-win for Edison State Community College and the communities it serves. “College students get needed communication skills, and elementary and middle school students get valuable life skills and help achieving their educational goals.”
